Sulu Archipelago - History

History

The grip of the Spanish Empire on Mindanao, Palawan, and the islands to their south was always tenuous. This area was generally under the control of the Muslim Sultanate of Sulu, centered in northern Borneo, which continually tried to extend the influence of Islam over the southwestern Philippines. In the 16th century, Spanish military expeditions against the sultanate were launched. From the 16th century through 1898, there were about 16 military campaigns against the sultans five of these resulting in a short occupation, except for the last one. During these three centuries, the Spaniards ruled Jolo for a grand total of about three decades and so Spanish rule over the Sulu Archipelago was generally limited to annual tributes by the sultans to the Spanish Empire, mostly in the form of pearls, a product of the region. An effective occupation of Jolo by the Spanish Empire did not take place until the year 1876.